Having first examined the post-stack and prestack methods of seismic impedance inversion (May and June 2015 EXPLORER), we now end the three-part series by turning our attention to joint inversion of multicomponent data.

Unconventional resources have changed the exploration and production business and are changing our profession. It’s a change for the better, where today geoscientists and engineers work closely to identify prospective areas, drill them and optimize recovery of hydrocarbons from the reservoir.

With the recent surge in new techniques and technology, as well as new plays put into production, a tremendous opportunity exists in both U.S. and international reservoirs to apply lessons learned to existing reservoirs in order to economically increase production and recoverable reserves.

With the recent surge in new techniques and technology, as well as new plays put into production, a tremendous opportunity exists in both U.S. and international reservoirs to apply lessons learned to existing reservoirs in order to economically increase production and recoverable reserves.

This is the story of the drilling of a costly ($60 million) Lahee A-1 well in the Colombian foothills, which presented significant deviations from the prognosticated stratigraphy halfway to the objective – and became an operational nuisance. Nonetheless, it is mainly a story of successful management and prompt response to the geological uncertainty.

In last month’s Geophysical Corner `we described the different poststack impedance inversion methods that are available in our seismic industry. In poststack seismic inversion – where there is no mode conversion at normal incidence – it is purely acoustic. P-wave impedance is the only information that can be estimated from poststack inversion of P-wave data.

Seismic inversion for acoustic impedance is widely used in our industry today, mainly due to the ease and accuracy of interpretation of impedance data, but also because it allows an integrated approach to geological interpretation. This month’s column refers to “inversion” as the transformation of seismic amplitude data into acoustic impedance data.

When the initial Discovery Thinking forum debuted in San Antonio at the 2008 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, it garnered high marks from attendees. Still, who could have known that this initial forum would be the harbinger of such an amazingly successful and long-running program?

Here is an introduction to the tools and techniques that geologists and geophysicists use to locate gas and oil, that drillers use to drill the wells and that petroleum engineers use to test and complete the wells and produce the gas and oil. Exercises throughout the course provide practical experience in well log correlation, contouring, interpretation of surface and subsurface, contoured maps, seismic interpretation, well log interpretation, and decline curve analysis.

Take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn all the aspects related to the understanding and modeling of fractured reservoirs. Attendees will take geologic concepts and use them in reservoir modeling through hands-on sessions devoted to the examination of outcrop, core and log data. They will use that information and a software to create 3D fractured reservoir models. Using actual Teapot Dome (Wyoming, USA) field data from the Tensleep and Niobrara Shale formations and a hands-on approach, the workshop allows the geoscientist to identify fractures and to construct predictive 3D fracture models that can be used to identify productive zones, plan wells and to create fracture porosity and permeability models for reservoir simulation.

This course is a non-numerical introduction to the use of geochemistry and BPSM to better understanding unconventional resources. This course is designed to provide participants with new information on unconventional and sweet spot identification that is not normally available in routine service company courses.

Participants will learn a specific and comprehensive methodology for finding and developing conventional and unconventional oil and gas resources associated with lake deposits. The seminar will start with the Quaternary Bonneville basin in Utah, to build familiarity with lacustrine depositional processes. Participants then examine world-famous exposures of organic-rich mudstone, fluvial sandstone, and carbonate microbialite facies in Wyoming.

With the recent surge in new techniques and technology, as well as new plays put into production, a tremendous opportunity exists in both U.S. and international reservoirs to apply lessons learned to existing reservoirs in order to economically increase production and recoverable reserves.

This workshop is the outgrowth of continued cooperation between AAPG & EAGE to develop a series of multi-disciplined gatherings dedicated to understanding, completing & producing tight sandstone & carbonate reservoirs.

Here is an introduction to the tools and techniques that geologists and geophysicists use to locate gas and oil, that drillers use to drill the wells and that petroleum engineers use to test and complete the wells and produce the gas and oil. Exercises throughout the course provide practical experience in well log correlation, contouring, interpretation of surface and subsurface, contoured maps, seismic interpretation, well log interpretation, and decline curve analysis.

This interdisciplinary, two-day workshop focuses on innovative strategies and new technologies for revitalizing mature fields and includes a series of expert presentations and roundtable discussions. Participants will benefit from the opportunity to advance their understanding of mature fields, to exchange ideas and to explore opportunities for future collaboration. It is organized by the AAPG Latin America & Caribbean Region and the Geological Society of Peru.

This workshop brings together new technologies, practices, and procedures that can be applied to new and mature fields in order to revitalize them and increase / optimize recovery. The presentations will focus on case studies, research findings, and field applications for new and existing plays, including Texas, Gulf Coast region, and Latin America.

Here is an introduction to the tools and techniques that geologists and geophysicists use to locate gas and oil, that drillers use to drill the wells and that petroleum engineers use to test and complete the wells and produce the gas and oil. Exercises throughout the course provide practical experience in well log correlation, contouring, interpretation of surface and subsurface, contoured maps, seismic interpretation, well log interpretation, and decline curve analysis.

Cross disciplinary workflows play an important part of successful characterization of shale reservoirs. This course discusses how the artificial kerogen maturity of organic-rich Green River shale affects the petrophysical, micro-structural, geochemical and elastic properties.

This course is ideal for individuals involved in Midland Basin exploration and development. Successful development of Wolfcamp shale oil relies on complex inter-relationships (ultimately interdependencies) within and between a wide variety of scientific disciplines, financial entities, and company partnerships.

There are more approximately 1,000 oil and gas fields in the world that have been classified as "giant," containing more than 500 million barrels of recoverable oil and /or 3 trillion cubic feet of gas.

Recognition and Correlation of the Eagle Ford, Austin Formations in South Texas can be enhanced with High Resolution Biostratigraphy, fossil abundance peaks and Maximum Flooding Surfaces correlated to Upper Cretaceous sequence stratigraphic cycle chart after Gradstein, 2010.

Projects in several shales will be discussed, including Marcellus, Eagle Ford, Haynesville, Fayetteville, Montney, and Barnett, as will several seismically-detectable drivers for success including lithofacies, stress, pre-existing fractures, and pore pressure.

The presentation describes a well established fracture modeling workflow that uses a standard 3D seismic, conventional logs, image logs and data from one core to build predictive 3D fracture models that are validated with blind wells.